Work to demolish Southern California’s old Gerald Desmond Bridge in the Port of Long Beach will begin in May, the port announced Friday.
The port’s Back Channel will be closed to vessels from May 7 to May 9 so that the main span can be disconnected and lowered onto a barge.
The 5,134-foot-long (1,565-meter) bridge, which opened in 1968, was decommissioned when a towering replacement bridge opened in October 2020.
The old bridge rises 155 feet (47 meters) above the water. The new bridge has a 205-foot (62-meter) clearance over the channel, allowing large cargo vessels to more easily access the port’s Inner Harbor.
The $59.9 million demolition project was included in the nearly $1.6 billion budget for the new bridge.
The Gerald Desmond Bridge was named for a former Long Beach city attorney who helped secure funding for its construction.